Lucky Pennies Made in Japan!

Zoins

There are quite a few large size Lucky Pennies and there's even a reference guide for these.

I just saw this Grand Canyon Lucky Penny which prominently displays "Made in Japan".

Anyone know about these and who struck them?

Photos by refacesupply.

ricko

I do not know who struck them... but what size are they? They look larger than a cent. I have not seen others. Cheers, RickO

Hydrant

Made in Japan......so very quaint.

coinsarefun

I bought the reference and have one or two but, not that one. Haven’t seen that one before.
I also haven’t looked at my reference booklet either.as I understand none are all that rare.
But, to have ones that are well preserved is another story. Most are stained or beaten up badly.

JBK

Interesting.

Any idea on date?

Based on the Made In Japan language it is possibly several years postwar (after the occupation period), and before the era when most manufacturing went to Taiwan and then China.

Mid 1950s to early 1970s, perhaps?

Kurisu

Japan since after the war fell in love with American expressions (Wow! Cool!) and things that expressed the physically large expanse of the HUGE United States... wondering if these were made for both tourists and or locals as little pachinko arcade prizes and things.

In the early 40's copper coins were officially gone in Japan, replaced with aluminum alloys...so Copper type coins would've been a neat little thing after WW2 for the Japanese. Practically all of Japan still loves little trinkets and gifts and still uses actual cash and coins way more than we do.

"Made in Japan" was still the main stamp on exports also until the very early 1940's so maybe as copper coins were sure to disappear some Japanese companies started to do things like these coins as novelties to export or sell in Japan. Before that made in Japan items said "Nippon" somewhere on them until the very early 1920's.

As a fun side note, today in Japan you still see plenty of shirts and items with American words put together as total nonsense phrases and American type scenes as well and sometimes they make no sense whatsoever lol! They also don't have the level of political incorrectness we associate with some imagery in the U.S...so sometimes even today you might see a product or graphic using a Native American image or an old style 'negro' type image with no connection to being offensive in the U.S. In Japan some of these things are even still sometimes jokingly referred to as 'Engrish'.

johnny9434

dont know. enough said

Kurisu

I'm guessing they might have been made for both export and as trinkets for things like prizes in Pachinko arcades. Maybe shortly after WW2.

Copper coins disappeared in Japan just previous to the war so copper looking coins would've been a neat little novelty in Japan after the war. Especially with the Japanese loving things that represented the vastness of the huge American lands, wilderness, and ruggedness.
Coins and little gifts and prizes are still absolutely loved in Japan. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they were also intended to be sold as little gift sets in Japan.

Not long after the war Japan fell in love with American phrases and words and imagery. You still see it today pretty much everywhere. Often just a word like "Wow", "Cool", "We Love", and even curse words... and often put into absolute nonsense phrases that can be pretty hilarious. Sometimes you even see things that would be highly offensive here but they have no idea and who cares lol! They even sometimes refer to these kind of things themselves jokingly as 'Engrish'.

It also wouldn't surprise me if these were from later, like the 60's or 70's as Japan doesn't have the same connection to why we find some things politically incorrect...like the image of that native American. You even occasionally see items and products with imagery that would be highly insulting here like old stereotypical depictions of 'negros' and such. That doesn't happen so much any more but it really catches you off guard when you spot it lol!

"Made in Japan" was the official stamp for exports starting in the very early 1920's. Before that, items said 'Nippon' somewhere on them.

Kurisu

Found some similar but different type large lucky Made in Japan pennies...

1939 San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition "Lucky Penny", brass. Obverse: Indian head with the words "Lucky Penny" above and "Made in Japan" below Reverse: "Golden Gate International Exposition", "1939", "On San Francisco Bay", "Treasure Island" Has some
www.pinterest.com/pin/482166703841927133/

Large Metal Lucky Penny Made In Occupied Japan
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/west-point-coins-large-metal-lucky-1894341257

Souvenir copper penny depicting an Indian chief and the falls at Niagara. It was made in “Occupied Japan” dating it to between 1945 and 1952.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/niagara-falls-large-lucky-penny-1463826185

Namvet69

Are they implying that the Grand Canyon is made in Japan? Oh no! Peace Roy

JBK

I am surprised at the 1939 issue as we were on the verge of WWII; troubles with Japan were percolating for several years prior to Pearl Harbor.

Also, I dont know the specific dare range, but for several years after WWII anything made their wiykd have referenced "Occupied Japan."

So, 1930s is also a possibility.

coinsarefun

THE ORIGINAL THREAD, when I received mine

The reason I bough the catalog is I wanted e smaest diameter of all of them and it was a “California
Penny”. If you look at the reverse above SOUVENIR it says PURE COPPER. Bonus and even more desirable to me.
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1915 Panama-Pacific Expo 45mm CA Souvenir Penny PCGS MS64RB

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Here is just the first page. I’ll organize and look trough later and post any other pertinent information.
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CaptHenway

Notice the "HD" on the shoulder. No idea what that stands for.

coinsarefun

And btw @Zoins this is my
1915 Panama-Pacific Expo 38mm CA Souvenir Penny MS64BN
I was trying to get info on both of the designs. This one obviously different from the dinner plate
size ones and Indian superbly designed in full headdress.
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Namvet69

@coinsarefun I agree the native American is very nicely rendered.
I have one to offer up, 1915 bronze Wanamaker 13th Children's drawing competition A recent get that was well cared for. This medal caused me to read The Business biography of John Wanamaker by J. Appel 1930 Macmillan. Amazing business acumen in so many ways. Apparently this medal was mostly issued in white metal for the masses and in bronze for actual winners. Enjoy. Peace Roy

coinsarefun

These are amazing @Namvet69 I too am fascinated by the man. He did not let any grass grow under his feet!
I started a thread a while back that you may want to post them there. I'm going to update the thread to show the graded ones with true views.
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LINK HERE
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Namvet69

I've got one of the cupro-nickel credit fobs which was a very progressive sales tool. Make a man feel special! Peace Roy

Zoins

@coinsarefun said:
These are amazing @Namvet69 I too am fascinated by the man. He did not let any grass grow under his feet!
I started a thread a while back that you may want to post them there. I'm going to update the thread to show the graded ones with true views.

John Wannamaker is an amazing person. He created a hugely successful company and intended starting his own university for sales people which I've posted on these forums before.

coinsarefun

@Zoins said:

@coinsarefun said:
These are amazing @Namvet69 I too am fascinated by the man. He did not let any grass grow under his feet!
I started a thread a while back that you may want to post them there. I'm going to update the thread to show the graded ones with true views.

John Wannamaker is an amazing person. He created a hugely successful company and intended starting his own university for sales people which I've posted on these forums before.

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I could have swore I created a link on this thread.....oh well

Great Link to more Wanamaker